Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
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ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BASED<br />
ON LITTORAL COMMUNITY CARTOGRAPHY: METHODOLOGICAL<br />
APPROACH<br />
Xavier TORRAS, Susana PINEDO, Maria GARCIA, Luisa MANGIALAJO and Enric BALLESTEROS<br />
Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Acc. Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, SPAIN<br />
ABSTRACT<br />
In this study we present a new methodology for m<strong>on</strong>itoring water quality based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
cartography <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rocky benthic communities in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> littoral z<strong>on</strong>e. Littoral communities<br />
thriving in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> selected coast are cartographied from a small boat and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cartographic<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> is transcribed to a GIS. With <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> spatial databases and geographic<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> system technology (GIS) it is possible to know not <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
rocky benthic communities al<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast but also to obtain an envir<strong>on</strong>mental quality<br />
index giving a “quality” value to every community. This index takes into account <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
length <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast covered by each community, a value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ecological quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> each<br />
community obtained by expert judgement, and a correcti<strong>on</strong> by different parameters<br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than water quality involved in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> littoral communities (e.g. natural<br />
or artificial substrate, type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast) which has been obtained with an accurate study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> littoral communities in reference z<strong>on</strong>es. This index, named Ecological<br />
Quality Ratio, fulfils <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> requirements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Water Framework Directive. (2000/60/EC).<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Littoral benthic communities can be used as biological indicators <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental<br />
changes because (1) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are exhaustively studied, at least in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Western<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r European coasts, (2) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y integrate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental changes<br />
occurring in marine ecosystems, and (3) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are str<strong>on</strong>gly affected by polluti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Am<strong>on</strong>gst <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> organisms that can be used as bioindicators we can point up <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> seaweeds,<br />
which have some species that are good indicators <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental quality (e.g.<br />
Levine, 1984). There are some studies that show <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> industrial and wastewater<br />
discharges <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> macroalgae, mainly regarding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fucophyceae, characterized in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> genus Cystoseira (e.g. Bellan Santini, 1968; Soltan et al.,<br />
2001). According to Belsher (1977) polluti<strong>on</strong> also affects some red algae, with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
disappearance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> some species <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Gelidiales and Rhodymeniales, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regressi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
some Ceramiales, Gigartinales and Crypt<strong>on</strong>emiales.<br />
We have selected <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> communities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> littoral z<strong>on</strong>e (mediolittoral and upper<br />
infralittoral according to Pérès and Picard, 1964) as biological indicators <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
envir<strong>on</strong>mental quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> coastal waters. The community <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cystoseira mediterranea<br />
ACTES DU DEUXIEME SYMPOSIUM MEDITERRANEEN SUR LA VEGETATION MARINE (ATHENES, 12-13 DECEMBRE 2003)<br />
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